I remember sitting in a crowded sports bar last April, the smell of fried food and anticipation hanging thick in the air. On every screen, Steph Curry was dancing around the three-point line against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and we all knew what was coming even before the ball left his fingertips. That’s the thing about legendary three-point moments—they don’t just happen; they build in the collective imagination of fans before swishing through the net. It got me thinking about the greatest 3 point NBA record moments in basketball history, those flashes of brilliance that didn’t just change games but reshaped how we see the sport itself.
Back in 2016, when Klay Thompson dropped 11 threes in a playoff game, I was watching with my buddy who’s a volleyball coach. He leaned over and said, “It’s just probably the style of volleyball. It’s very different. Different hitters, everybody hits really different, everybody has a different skillset.” And it hit me—that’s exactly what makes the NBA’s three-point revolution so thrilling. Each shooter brings their own flavor: Ray Allen’s textbook form, Reggie Miller’s chaotic energy, Damian Lillard’s deep-range audacity. Adapting to that on the fly, as a defender or a fan, is the biggest challenge, but it’s an exciting challenge. You never know when someone will rise up and rewrite the record books.
Take Curry’s unanimous MVP season—he didn’t just break the single-season three-point record; he shattered it with 402 makes, leaving his previous mark of 286 in the dust. I still argue that his 2013 game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, where he hit 11 threes and finished with 54 points, was more iconic than any Finals performance. The arena felt like a cathedral, and every shot was a prayer answered. Or think about Kyle Korver’s 127-game streak with a three-pointer—a quiet, relentless precision that often flew under the radar. As a fan, I’ve always preferred those underdog stories over the superstar explosions, though I’ll admit Curry’s 2016 finale against Memphis, where he nailed 10 threes in three quarters, was pure artistry.
What sticks with me, though, isn’t just the numbers—it’s the moments of sheer unpredictability. Like when Lillard waved goodbye to Paul George before sinking a 37-footer in 2019, a shot that traveled roughly 35 feet if we’re being precise (though my memory insists it was closer to 40). That’s the beauty of the three-point era: it’s not just about skill sets; it’s about personalities clashing and evolving in real time. We’re all just adapting to this ever-changing game, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether it’s a role player catching fire or a legend adding another chapter, these records remind us why we fell in love with basketball in the first place.